


What's Waiting at Home

by Vziii



Category: Game Grumps
Genre: A Way Out AU, Guys., I'm doing this., I've been debating whether to write in Arin and Dan or Arin and Brian., death mention, gonna try the Brian for now., holy shit
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-24
Updated: 2018-06-02
Packaged: 2019-05-13 08:12:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14745159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vziii/pseuds/Vziii
Summary: After breaking out of jail together, Arin and Brian make their way back to their homes together. Maybe they could share each others' lives, as well.





	What's Waiting at Home

**Author's Note:**

> GUYS GUYS IM WRITING A WAY OUT AU KJKBKFHMH BEWARE I LIKE WRITING ANGSTIES AND CHARACTER DIALOGUE SO YEAAAAAAAAA

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For now, the mission of revenge against a special Harvey can wait, for there's someone in the hospital waiting for Arin.

Brian swore that every child born into this world is a blessing.

It was a tad tough for him to admit that when he was one before, years and years ago. Growing up an orphan, Brian knew how badly a young one needed good support. He knew children needed people with the kindest and bravest souls to journey alongside.

So there was no way Brian was letting his new partner miss his own child's very first birthday, without a doubt.

 

Look at them. A couple of cards.

Two middle-aged wanted criminals.

Dangerous fugitives, loose in the streets.

Wecht and Hanson, mugshots on the papers.

Brian Wecht, in for grand theft of a precious gem.

Arin Hanson, in for a pinned murder of Ross O'Donovan.

In their defense, Brian was trying to sell the Black Orlov fairly.

And what motive would Arin ever have against his closest friend? 

 

But prison didn't need any details.

And they were put behind bars.

Leaving both men enraged.

 

Both seeking vengeance.

Both determined to get Harvey.

Harvey the murderer, Harvey the traitor.

An unlikely duo after being jail cell neighbors.

And they were running out together as new partners.

Escaping prison with the same goal in mind: kill that man.

 

But that could wait.

They needed a detour after the commotion.

Raiding a convenience store, getting shotguns.

There was someone who needed Arin right now. 

 

"Excuse me?"

The nurse at the receptionist counter looked up to Arin. "Yes? May I help you?"

"Yes," Arin kept his voice low. "My wife just gave birth. I'd like to visit her."

"What's the name, please?"

"Uh, Berhow. Suzanne."

The lady in white began flipping through a large notebook, scanning through a list of 'B' names with her pointer finger on the page.

Arin looked beside him, finding Brian looking out the large window. checking for cops, he supposed. He thought a while about how he might have felt waiting here with him: here in a hospital, with all the silence surrounding the building.

Brian had a kid at home waiting, whom they visited only a few days ago. They had to jog through a trailer park to find his close friend and partner Dan ('strictly no homo, unfortunately' according to Brian), holding little Ashley in his arms. Two dads with an adopted baby girl after finding her abandoned in the streets, caring for her as best they could whilst dabbling in a few criminal matters.

They had talked about children briefly before getting here, and Brian's words all centered around how you begin to live for your kid. Here, before even meeting his and Suzy's child, he was beginning to agree.

"Right," the nurse found Suzy's wardroom on her list, snapping Arin out his thoughts. "Follow me, sir, please."

 

"Hey."

Walking in, Arin kept his expectations of anything low. Fortunately, it served him well, seeing Suzy with a tired complexion. 

Dressed in a thin white dress decorated with grey polka-dots, the black-haired woman Arin happily married stared at him. Whilst leaning down on the reclined bed, Suzy portrayed her energy levels low, and she had all the reason to. The nurse had told him the baby was delivered very recently, a few moments before Arin had driven up to the hospital. That fact had put one more weight on his guilt scale.  

"Hi," Suzy responded.

Arin could've fainted from hearing that word alone. Her voice so soft, so weak, he felt a pulled at his own chest as if in an effort to transfer his energy to her.

"How are you, Suzy?"

"I'm fine."

Cold. Monotone.

Fuck, Arin thought, he really did leave her miserable. Alone and suffering on her own, the weight of a child only upon her.

"Um," Brian broke the brief tension between the spouses, "congratulations."

"Thanks," Suzy met the stranger's eyes as he walked out from behind Arin. "You are..."

"Brian. Wecht. I'm with him."

"Okay. Hello."

"Hi."

Arin mentally facepalmed at the awkward interaction between Brian and his wife, somewhat grateful that they finally stopped talking. 

"It's a girl, by the way," Suzy stated coldly into the quiet ward. "If you're looking for her, she's getting incubated right now. The nurses will bring her in soon."

Both men nodded, unsure of responding in any other form.

Arin could feel an impatience begin to boil inside his brain, the wall between him and Suzy being prodded at with a fucking thin stick. He was determined on discussing 

"Should I go?"

The spouses turned their heads to Brian, unconsciously giving him dirty looks. Arin felt a little sorry that he was in between them and their unaddressed conundrum between each other.

As if aware of their unsteady relationship, Brian slowly turned around and walked out of the ward, closing the door behind him. Hearing to door click, Arin let out a brief sigh, glad that his partner gave him and his wife to finally talk.

 

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Arin used his inside voice, still induced with nervous adrenaline.

"You'd be sorry if you didn't show up at all, really," a hint of humour in Suzy's voice let the uneasy aura begin to dissipate.

Arin made sure to keep his footsteps light, a little too cautious of making any noise, when walking towards his wife.

"Arin... I wasn't sure whether you coming here would be a good idea."

Pulling a nearby chair closer to him, Arin took a seat beside the ward bed. He extended his hand out to her slowly, allowing her to take it if she'd like. To his joy, Suzy placed her fingers upon his palm, looking at him with nostalgia as he gently kissed the back of her hand.

“I missed you,” Arin's love flowed through his whisper.

“Me too,” Suzy let her guard back down.

The spouses embraced, with Suzy putting her weight upon her husband as she leaned away from her bed and further into Arin's chest.

"It just sucks we had to meet like this. Cops after you, bringing a stranger here too, you smell a little weird."

"Hey, I smell just FINE, thanks."

"Yes, I love the new sweat-scent perfume with a hint of shit."

After a brief snicker from each of them, the tension between the married couple crept back in. Suzy retreated back onto her bed as if heavily affected by the negative aura.

Arin wasn't better off. He'd been carrying this guilt for weeks, ever since he got in jail. He believed nothing would let Suzy forgive him, but damn if he wouldn't try to fix up their relationship with what he could.

"Suzy, I..." he faltered for a while. "I'm sorry for all I've done to disappoint you. But I meant it when I promised I would come back for you and our kid. I really did. She's my daughter too, and I want to give all of myself to the two of you." 

Suzy's eyebrow arched up. "You really thought this was about you not being there for her growing up?" Her monotone response took Arin by surprise. 

"... yes, actually. But I promised I'd come back." 

"Of course I knew you'd come back for us, you dumbass!"

Arin couldn't keep in a chuckle. "Gee. Thanks."

"This was about your stubbornness."

"...oh."

"I'm not sure if you know this, but I keep watching you get determined at things, not stopping until the case was closed. You hold onto it for as long as you can. You hold onto a promise you make within a second."

Arin put his head down, retracting from the shameful feeling again. "Yeah," he could only agree.

"You chase after Harley until he's dead, you run here just to see your child. You made both vows and now you're trying to juggle them and I don't know how much longer you can or how you plan to, let alone what's coming next."

"Honestly, me neither."

"Then when will you let one case go?"

"... I don't know."

He couldn't tell what was more heartbreaking: his stupid response, or the way Suzy turned her head away.

"Just... just please trust me that I can make all of this better."

"I don't know how to."

"Just let me finish this. Get Harvey, get this over with, and I swear-"

"Don't swear!" she yelled, immediately shrinking at her own volume.

"Sorry."

"Just..." Suzy took a breath and turned to her husband again, finding some determination to let him into her life again. "Just finish it. Come back home if you can. Don't vow or promise anything afterward."

"... except?"

"Except nothing. Not for now."

"Okay."

"Just... just please stay here for a while, stay with me. Meet your daughter. Cherish her, love her for as long as you can." 

Arin could feel his tears threaten to spill out again, the mere mention of his newborn child running through his veins.

"Spend time with our kid now," Suzy continued. "Then leave and see if you can kick Harvey's ass."

"I will."

"No. No 'will' yet. Just try for now."

No promises, Arin vowed with the little voice in his mind, soft and small as he could envision the little baby.

No promises to stay alive through a possible ambush. No promises of a perfect tomorrow.

"Okay," he decided to say instead of another vow.

"See if you can get your ass back home after this mess," a smirk began to grow on Suzy's face.

"Alright!" Arin giggled. Stupidly giggling, he judged himself, but he was glad to see her smile again.

"If you return, she'll be with me at home. She's your daughter too, and I shouldn't try and take her for myself. Besides, I know you'll be a wonderful father, and she'll love you."

"But if I do die?"

"I know your spirit will try coming to us and watch over her." Her smile began to falter, and yet, Arin could still see a catchlight in her eyes.

"But either way," she continued, "I'll manage. And she will know you as someone who kept promises. Real promises."

"Okay."

"But seriously. If you die out there, I'll come over there and kick your corpse's ass."

"Fair enough."

Childbirth aside, Suzy's snicker was what Arin came for, he needed to hear after so long.

"Kick it right in there," she continued giggling, emphasizing the 'right'.

"Yeah, don't hold back. Punch it."

Suzy's laughs increased in volume. "Nah, I'll have our kid do that!"

Arin couldn't hold back his loud giggling, either. "Just have her punch me whilst you kick me around!"

"Oh, hell yeah!"

A knock at the door stopped the couple's laughing fit. "Come in," they comically responded at the same time. They would've giggled about that a little longer, perhaps, if the person at the door was someone else.

But at the same time, Arin and Suzy couldn't have been more grateful to see a smiling nurse pushing in a see-through box upon a wheeled metal stand, a little baby sleeping soundly in it.

 

"Mr. Hanson, Mrs. Berhow, congratulations on your newborn."

Gazing at the sweet life within the incubator, Arin had to consciously form words in his mind to put his thoughts of the scene in order. Wrapped in a bundle of white cloth blanket, a sleeping baby laid in the large transparent box, pure and soft and the epitome of every beauty he knew.

The nurse gently pushing the incubator closer to the couple hadn't taken him out of his mind. Even as she lifted the sweet child out of the see-through container and up into Suzy's arms, all Arin could do was keep his gaze following where the baby was being brought. Almost with a camera depth-of-field, his newborn daughter was the main focus of his sight. 

He could recognize his wife's smiling face as she took the treasure wrapped in white into her arms, acknowledge the nurse walking out of the ward to give them some privacy. But his daughter's sleeping face, her resting eyelids portraying the utmost peace, was all Arin was enraptured upon. He could even register sound, of course, a wavelength in the pitch of Suzy's voice...

... wait, Arin blinked, scanning his surroundings and coming back to reality. "Hey," he saw Suzy's face light up as she spoke to him with a chuckle, "don't pass out on me now, honey!" Arin giggled out of nervousness, too, and the same small amusement his wife found. Him zoning out so fully it was almost comedic. 

"We gotta come up with a name for our kid before the nurse comes in to fill the birth papers."

A name.

Wow, Arin thought, he really was a knucklehead. Coming all this way to see his kid that he literally forgot they had to name her.

"I've been thinking about some good flower names when you left," Suzy took the reins on the situation. "I remember we agreed on flowers for girls."

"You remembered?" Arin began to grin.

"Of course!" Suzy could only giggle at how happy she saw her husband.

"Which ones did we settle on?"

"The simple ones, I think. The so-called 'unoriginal' ones."

A soft breath of laughter left his mouth at the term 'unoriginal,' ensuring the negative tension from before had left them alone to be replaced with widening smiles and the most sincere love.

"It's all on you now," Suzy continued the conversation after a beat. "Which one would you like to give her, Arin?"

 Arin took one more glance at the little child, taking in every detail he could of her once more. 

A little peach-colored head, Arin described his daughter internally, poking out of a white blanket. Like the center of a white flower, a carpel surrounded by soft small petals. A pure, innocent, white flower. Dainty and puny, possibly, but a gem within the dark green bushes.

"Lilly."

Arin took a breath to ground himself, to affirm his choice of his daughter's name to himself.

"Lilly," he spoke softly. "Is that name alright?"

Looking up to see how his wife responded to his decision, Arin was pleased to see an assuring smile. 

"Lilly Hanson-Berhow," Suzy recited as if it were a magical spell. "It's a beautiful name."

"The most beautiful name," Arin whispered, "for the most beautiful little baby I've seen."

"Would you like to hold her?"

Filled with such joy after hearing the question, Arin could only nod rapidly with a big smile.

Giggling at her husband's response, she extended her arms towards him, keeping her hands still to support her baby. Arin, breathing shallowly in anticipation, carefully took the blanketed baby into his embrace, reaching his forearms underneath the child.

"She's so soft!" He almost squealed whilst holding Lilly in his arms for the first time.

"I know, right?" Suzy felt her cheeks start to tire from smiling so much.

Arin could feel his face falter for the same reason. And just like Suzy, he couldn't find it in him to stop smiling. Lilly was so much wonderful to view from a closer angle, such proof to be a blessing to the world.

"God, I wanna be here with you forever," Arin breathed out. "I wanna watch you grow into a strong and wonderful flower, taller and taller above the soil."

Leaning the baby closer into his chest, Arin stabilized Lilly on one arm so he could smooth his right hand over the back of his daughter's head. He could feel the warmth of the white blanket seep slightly into his skin, giving him a sense of reassurance that the cloth kept the child warm and cozy.

"I want to stay by you each day," Arin continued whispering to his sleeping treasure. "I wish to, I hope to."

So what's stopping me, Arin asked himself, his smile wearing off and slipping away. An aura of doubt began to swirl in his mind, somehow collecting dust to form a word.

Harvey. The name 'Harvey' came into his mind, answering the question.

"But I gotta go for a while. Papa's has to go catch a bad guy."

Placing his right arm underneath Lilly once again, Arin began to raise her higher above his chest so as to bring her closer to his eyes, closer to him. 

"If I can't be your shield," he spoke with a little more conviction, "then let me be your soldier. Let me go and chase down anyone that might hurt you, keep your world safe so you'll never have to feel scared."

Arin could feel a small weight upon his leg, snapping him out his monologue to glance at it and find out what it was. Seeing a hand with black-painted nails, Arin quickly identified it to be Suzy's, looking up to her weak smile. 

Now's not the time for self-sacrifice, Arin could hear his wife's voice in his mind, almost as if receiving a telepathic message from her. Now is the time for joy and love, her voice continued, for the present.

Giving a slight nod to Suzy, Arin then turned his head back down, gazing once more at his darling daughter. He found his heart glowing once more, glowing with unconditional care for the little baby in a blanket.

"I love you, Lilly. I love you so much. I'll love you until the end of time, my dear, and I'll always be with you in spirit."

Leaning his head forwards, he pressed a gentle kiss to the baby's forehead, closing his eyes and holding his daughter into his chest and not daring to let go. Arin could hear a little chuckle from behind him, smiling in response to Suzy's sound.

And all the while, Lilly remained asleep, ignorant yet innocent as the little flower she was named after.

 

Nothing had mattered more than little Lilly at that moment. The undoubtful love and care between the family kept the wardroom warm like the white blanket enveloping the baby. Any unsteady sense between Arin and Suzy was gone, and in its place, a little room in their hearts for their child was furnished. 

Even by taking a peek inside through the glass panel of the door, Brian could feel the compassion for the newborn. He watched in wonder as Arin cradled his child, reminiscing of how it felt to hold his little Ashley in the same way. He felt a smile creep onto his complexion as if it were a contagion from Suzy, his chest warm up like a homely fire.

Harvey could wait, Brian thought. Harvey has no idea what he's missing now.

And there was no way he could've let Arin miss this moment with his family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Baby Ashley belongs to Hana (hanawritesherlifeaway). She was the first Dan and Brian kid that popped into my head whilst writing this. I intend to have her come back around sometime.


End file.
